Type-writing machine



Patented lab. 3. 1899.

C. H. SHEPARD. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1898.;

(No Model.)

W/WTNEEEEE:

"mumou wAsmNui'uN o c 'NIIYE CHARLES II. SHEPARD, OF NEYV YORK N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE WYOKOFF,

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 617,056, dated January 3, 1899. Application filed A ril 4, 1898. Serial No. 676,360. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. SHEPARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and city and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-W'riting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The main object that I have in View is to provide means for retaining a card-holder temporarily upon the surface of a cylindrical platen Without marring, mutilating, or otherwise destroying the surface of the platen by the placement thereon of screws or fastening devices, so that the said surface of the platen may be used as fully and effectually for work upon paper as the ordinary platen, while at the same time the platen is adapted for use in conj notion with a card-holder when it may be desired to print upon cards; and to this main end my invention consists in the various features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a type-writing machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof, taken at the linear ocof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the card-holderclamping means. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the card-holder. Fig. 5 is a top face view of the clamping-ring. Fig. 6 is a top View of a modification in which the curved tapering hook is made integral with platen-head, and Fig. 7 is a side view of the same.

In the several views the same part will be found designated by the same numeral of reference.

The platen, as usual, comprises an interior hollow core 1 and a surrounding rubber sheath or cover 2. At the left-hand end of the platen is secured by screws or otherwise a metallic head 3 and at the right-hand end a head at, which may be provided with ratchetteeth 5, adapted to a line-space pawl. (Not shown.) The platen shaft or axle 6 extends through the core and through the head of the platen and takes a bearing at its ends in the also be attached to said shaft bya set-screw 10. 5 5

The platen-head 3 is circular in form and has a smooth periphery, upon which is adapted to be fitted orseated an incomplete ring or a C-shaped fastening device 11. The inner side of the said device is plane, and when seated upon its bearings on the platen-head is parallel with the left-hand end of the rubber sheath or cover 2, with which it may contact all around; but the other or outer side of said ring-like device 11 is made tapering, as

shown at 12, for about half or less of its length, the taper extending along to the extremity 13 of one of the ends of the device, thus making this end of the device somewhat narrower than the opposite end 14 thereof. In other words,the end 13 of the C-shaped device is narrower than the end 14.- and tapers backwardly at one side to a gradually-increasing width for a suitable distance and for the purpose of providing a wedge, cam, or inclined locking surface. In addition to this taper the said device is slabbed or chamfered or beveled inwardly from its outer to its inner edge, as indicated at 15, for practically the same extent or distance circumferentially as the tapering portion 12. In connection with this ring-like device is employed a card-holder which consists of a bar 16, formed or provided at one end with a flange or hook 17 and at its opposite end with a flange or hook l8, and 85 along one edge of said bar is formed an undercut to provide an overhanging ledge or flange 19, the bar in cross-section being curved to correspond practically with the curvature of the platen.

Preferably the right-hand edge of the rubber sheath or cover 2 on the platen is beveled or tapered inwardly, as indicated at 20, to match the hook 17, which is preferably bent inwardly at an acute angle to the body of the 9 5 bar 16. The hook 18 is likewise bent in- WVhen the hook 17 is caught against the beveled end 20 of the platen-cover, the hook 18 extends beyond the left-hand end of the cover a distance slightly greater than the point or smallest end 13 of the clamping device, and hence when the said device is rotated upon its bearing the said point 13 may enter the space between the hook 18 and the end of the cover. As this rotation is continued and the wider portion of the curved hook or end of the ring enters, it soon fills said space and a wedging action takes place upon said hook to force it outwardly, and this movement being resisted by the hook 17 and the opposite end of the cover 2 the card-holder bar is firmly locked or clamped upon the platen. The farther the tapering curved hook formed on the ring-like device is turned around the harder the hook 17 is pressed against or embedded into the rubber at the right-hand end of the platen. WVhen the card-holder has been thus locked or clamped upon the platen, it will remain in position by the friction of the parts. By bending the hook 17 at an acute angle, as shown, it is enabled to more firmly grip the platen-cover and is, moreover, less liable to detachment under the wedging effect of the ring, and by making the hook 18 at an acute angle to the bar to match the bevel 15 at the outer edge of the ring the lefthand end of the bar is considerably less liable to slip off of the ring while the wedging or looking action is taking place.

While I have shown the locking-ring as divided or cut away at 21, this is not essential, for the ring may be continuous or the ends may meet, so long as the taper feature is present therein. By cutting away the ring, as shown, it may be given an inherent spring, by which after snapping it upon its bearing it may be firmly held by such spring against any tendency to detachment. Moreover, this construction of the spring admits of its ready attachment and detachment when the platen is in position in its frame or carriage. The card-holderhaving been applied to the platen in the manner described, the card is held in place by slipping its leading edge into the space or pocket formed by the surface of the platen and the overhanging ledge 19, and the natural spring of the card will serve to keep this edge in said pocket when the feed-roller or other pressure devices used in the machine are engaged in holding the body and the free or rear edge of the card against the surface of the platen.

Then the operator has finished printing upon cards and desires to use the machine for printing upon paper, the card-holder may be instantly detached by turning the lockingring in the reverse direction, when the bar is free to be removed. The ring may either be detached or left upon the end of the platen at the pleasure of the operator, as in the latter case it would not interfere in any wise with the work of printing on paper.

It will be understood, of course, that when the ring is in place the card-holding bar may be attached and detached by moving the bar around circumferentially of the platen instead of turning the ring. To thus attach the bar, it is simply necessary to hook the flange 17 on the right-hand end of the platen with the hook 18 on the bar over the point or narrowest portion of the tapering hook 13 and to then push the bar around in the dirlction of the wider portion of the curved hook, and as this action takes place the wedging effect heretofore described is produced and the card holding bar becomes firmly looked upon the platen.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the device 11 may be actually attached to or form an integral part of the head 3, in which case very much less than the whole ring will be needed, in fact nothing more than a short tapering tongue or hook 13, enough to secure the requisite wedgin g and locking effect, as shown at Figs. 6 and 7. In any case the card-holding bar may be held at the opposite end in any suitable way other than by the hook 17 in the cover of the platen.

It will be seen that not only is the cardholder adapted to be retained temporarily upon the surface of a cylindrical platen without marring or mutilating the same, but that the cardtholder may be readily attached at any desired place or point on the periphery of said platen, and in this regard is unlike other contrivances of a like nature, which can only be attached to the platen at some one place where fittings or other securing devices are permanently located.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a card-holder, and a rotatable locking device arranged eXteriorly of and at the end of the platen for securing the cardholder detachably upon the surface of the platen.

2. In a type-writin g machine, the combina tion of a platen, a card-holder having a projection, and a rotatable wedge to engage the same to hold the card-holder upon the platen.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a card-holder constructed at one end to engage the platen and at its opposite end with means to be engaged by a rotating wedge on said platen.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a card-holder, having an end proj ectin g, and a tapering device on the platen for wedging the card-holder firmly upon said platen.

5. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a platen, a wedging-ring adapted to turn on the end thereof, and a card-holder provided at one end with means to be engaged by said wedge and at the opposite end with means for resisting the action of said wedge.

6. Ina type-writing machine, the combination of a platen,a platen-head,a wedging-ring mounted to turn thereon, and a card-holder provided with means to be engaged by said Wedging-ring and with means at its opposite end for catching hold of the platen and resisting the action of said ring.

7. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a platen, a Wedging-ring thereon, and a card-holder provided at each end with a hook.

8. In a type-writin g machine, the combination of a platen, a Wedging-ring thereon and having a beveled edge, and a card-holder having at one end a hook to match said beveled edge and at its opposite end a hook to engage the platen-cover.

0. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen Whose cover at one end is beveled, a ring on said platen and having a tapering portion and a beveled edge, and a cardholder having at each end an acute-angled hook.

10. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a platen-head, a divided ring thereon having a tapering portion and a card-holder provided at one end with means for gripping the platen and at its opposite end with means for engaging the said taperin g portion of the ring.

11. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen having a curved tapering device at one end, and a bar having at one end an inwardly-projecting hook to engage the curved tapering device and at the opposite end means for holding the bar against the Wedging action of the curved tapering device.

12. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a card-holder and a Wedge adapted to secure the same detachably upon the surface of the platen.

13. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a cylindrical platen, a card-holder adapted to be attached at any point on the surface of the platen, and an adjustable looking device for said card-holder.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, this 1st day of April, A. D. 1898.

CHARLES H. SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

K. V. DONOVAN, JACOB FELBEL. 

